


Episode 6 - Hate The Living, Love The Dead

by WitchFee



Category: Borderlands
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Reviving, Spoilers, Swear words (just in case), Violence, kinda angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-03
Updated: 2016-04-16
Packaged: 2018-05-30 21:10:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6440917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WitchFee/pseuds/WitchFee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What happened to the company man and the con artist after the incidents in the Vault? Well, you will never know, but you will know what Rhys is doing with his new power as the CEO from Atlas and an old companion. </p><p>The story plays one year after everything from Episode 5</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So yeah, that's my first story and I'm really sorry, if it's badly ooc! I hope not! And one FunFact: Hate The Living, Love The Dead is a song from Misfits. I just thought the title would fit. Hope you enjoy it!

Oh, hello there! Long time no see! You're here again? Ah, I understand. You want to know, what happended after the incidents in the Vault. Yeah, what exactly happended to the company man and the con artist? Well, no one knows that, but I'm glad to say, they both are still alive and they're doing their things pretty good. Fiona decided to become a Vault Hunter and with the help from Zer0, Athena and, mostly important, her sister she got really good at it. She's quiet a big number now. And our dearest Rhys? He became the CEO from Atlas. Ha, ironically. With the _help_  from the old and already dead CEO from Hyperion, he became the president from the big cooperation and nearly got killed after this. Luckily, no one wanted to kill him this time and so he built up the old facility with his own hands...and the certification from Handsome Jack. But we're not here to talk about old things! The CEO from Atlas got a plan and this plan can kill him.

**~~~**

Rhys walks through the metal hallways from Atlas and looks at the things in his hand. His old ECHO Eye and data port. The thing he has in mind is probably the dumbest thing, he ever had thought of. _But everyone deserves a second chance, or what?_  He nearly starts to laugh at his own naivety and puts his hands in his pockets from his pants. _Maybe that's not the case, when the someone tried to kill you and made you sacrifice a arm_. Rhys sighes and runs the free hand through his hair. He decides, that he's insane and should get his ass into a lunatic asylum. Again he looks at the two objects in his metal hand and strokes them lightly with his thumb. Rhys doesn't miss any old part of him, not even his arm. He just kept the two small objects. His arm is somewhere. Maybe still there, where he left it or it's on another planet. If he's honest, he doesn't care a bit about it. Of course, he worked hard for it and had the surgery. But still it is something from the past and it would always remind him of his big mistakes with Handsome Jack. The ECHO Eye and the data port he just kept, because it can be something in the future. _And now is the future._

The CEO opens the door to the small and isolated room. Two guards are standing in the corner next to him and he greets them. The room is nearly empty. There is just a table with an monitor on it. Slowly he goes to the monitor and puts the two things next to it. Rhys still has the chance to just go and lock away those things again. _Why am I scared?_  The room is isolated from the electricity, so Jack can't get control over the whole facility and he will be only in the monitor. _He can't do anything in that form._  With a sigh, he starts to connect the things with the monitor. It's not just an monitor. It has extra holes in which the ECHO Eye and the data port fit. _I definitely spent too much money on Handsome Jack and he doesn't know about it_. When everything is connected, he takes some steps back and looks at the monitor nervously.

A few moments nothing happens and Rhys thinks that it doesn't work, because AI Jack is maybe destroyed somehow. He wants to disconnect the things again, but then the monitor suddenly starts to flicker and then there is the hologram in it. They just look at each other and Handsome Jack looks really surprised. ,,Rhys...", the hologram starts to speak and starts to smile lightly. ,,Hey, Jack.", Rhys greets him and his gaze stays neutral. ,,Oh my god, kiddo! Hey there, how ya doin'?", Jack asks him happily and Rhys looks at him suspiciously. _Why is he so happy to see me? A year ago, he wanted to kill me._  ,,I'm fine, thanks. But why so happy?", Rhys asks him directly and Jack inhales overdramatically. ,,Aren't I allowed to be happy to see you, or what? Besides...I felt really lonely in your tech and well it's good to see you. And I don't mean it like: _Yeah, it's good to see you, so I can kill you_  or something. I'm actually really happy to see your less handsome face.", Handsome Jack answers and he smiles broadly. They stay silent until Jack decides to talk again. ,,Okay, whatever. Of course I could ask now the pretty obivous question, but I won't. First I want to know, what happened, after I was... _gone_. I'm really curious, how you made without me." The Atlas CEO sighs and prepares himself for a long long monolog.

And it was a _long_  monolog, but Handsome Jack never did interrupt or did anything. He just listened to the story from Rhys interested and smiled. ,,...and then I came back to the Atlas facility and built it up. So now I'm the CEO from Atlas.", Rhys ends his story and is happy to finally give his voice a break. ,,You did pretty well without me. I'm proud of ya. Made it to the top, without me. But that you're kinda a god to some bandits, that's because of me. Without me, you never had destroyed Helios.", Jack says and at the end he laughs. Rhys starts to grin and can't hide how much he missed the dead man. ,,So, pumpkin. Why did you put me into this monitor? Need my help somewhere?", the Hyperion CEO asks him with a light smile. ,,Nope. I want to help _you_.", Rhys starts and Jack gives him a questioning look. ,,I'm ready to forgive you everything you did to me, but then this means, you have to forgive me too and promise me not to kill me." Jack stays silent for a few moments, before he starts to laugh. ,,Oh, Rhysie Baby. Dammit, how can you not forgive such a face! And I promise you, I won't kill you, beeeeecause I can't." Jack grins and Rhys rolls his eyes, because of the dumb pet names. ,,So we're fine?" The hologram nods and grins wider. ,,Of fucking course, we are! But I don't know, how that should help me. It's an nice gesture from you and it's good, to have everything cleared, but y'know where is the help there?", Jack asks lightly confused. ,,I let my scientists work on a thing and it would give you the chance to live again with a physical form.", Rhys explains and Jacks eyes widened in excitement. ,,Please, don't say this is a joke, kitten. Because when it's one, I can't promise to not kill you for that." The younger man shakes his head with amusement and Jack lets out a very happy sound. ,,Oh my fucking god! Rhys, that's...that's awesome! You sonovabitch! I would kiss you, if I could. Or better: I would gladly give you a blowjob!", the hologram nearly screams and dances around in the monitor. Rhys is really amused from the behavior from Handsome Jack and now he doesn't feel that bad about his decision anymore.

,,So yeah, I don't want to interrupt your dancing, but I really have to go now.", Rhys says and Jack looks at him sadly. ,,Oh, kitten! You can't leave already! I'm at the very beginning from my dance and maybe it involves into something else.", the hologram replies seductively and wiggles with his eyebrows. ,,Jack, I don't like the colour blue that much and maybe later, when you're in a real body. Then it's more fun.", Rhys turns him down and makes his way out of the room. Before he leaves, he looks over his shoulder and to the Hyperion CEO. ,,I missed you too."

**~~~**

Rhys lays on his bed and tries to sleep for several hours now. Jack is in the surgery now or better expressed in the middle of the data transfer. Rhys _really_  shouldn't be worried about that at all. It wouldn't take that long and it's nothing dangerous for AI Jack. His data can't be destroyed from such a thing. But Rhys already had a million other endings for this story. Maybe the transfer is successful, but what when all the memorys are vanished? What when the transfer isn't successful and in rage Jack takes over Atlas and destroyes everything he built? Plus kill him. Another ending is, that everything is successful and Jack betrays him once more and finally kills him. ,,God dammit!", Rhys growls and to get other thoughts he thinks of the whole plan.

Rhys' scientist managed it somehow to get Handsome Jacks corpse to Atlas and well made it liveable. To Rhys it always sounded really disgusting and he never asked them how they did this. He just was really happy, that they got that. To get the consciousness from AI Jack into the body, they modified the body with a data port like Rhys. Of course they always could've taken the plan from Nakayama with the endoskeleton, but that was lame and really cruel, so they made their own plan. With a few cybernetics inside, so that Jack could control his body, everything was ready. For this moment.

 _Nothing should go wrong!_  Rhys rolls around again in his bed and wants to scream. He's way to worried about the hologram. Rhys doesn't even know why. Handsome Jack betrayed him, nearly killed him and seemed to be the kind for revenge. _Bloody merciless_  revenge. He kinda knew who Handsome Jack was, when he still worked for Hyperion and for Henderson. _Handsome Jack, the baddest guy of 'em all._  He sighs and shakes with his head. _Whatever, it's in the past! And when Jack betrays be once more, then I'm ready for it. I'm the CEO from Atlas and would get backup in emergencies._

**~~~**

Rhys wakes up, because a weight is suddenly on him. A really heavy weight. ,,Ugh...who let is fucking fat dog out?", Rhys growls tired and shoves the weight off of him. ,,Hey, now I'm _really_  offended.", a well-knowing voice replies offended and immediately Rhys is awake. ,,Jack is it really you?!", he asks really loud and surprised. ,,Yeah, no one else got such a sexy manly voice like me, dum dum.", the older man answers and Rhys clearly hears the grin out of it. Rhys turns on the light and really there lays a living physically Jack next to him. ,,Oh my god.", Rhys mumbles and falls from the bed in shock and surprise. ,,Do I look so good, that you have to look away _s_ _omehow_?" Jack bends over the edge of the bed and looks at Rhys with a broad grin. With a light growl, Rhys stands up and looks at Jack. ,,Are you real real?" Handsome Jack just rolls his eyes amused and shrugs. ,,Dunno, maybe. Maybe not. I can be a real guy, but I can be just a image of your little sleepy brain. You have to find out." Rhys sighs a bit annoyed and sits down on the bed. ,,Stop playing goddamn mindgames with me. I'm far too tired and shocked, to put up with that." Jack laughs lightly in an teasing manner and rolls over to Rhys. ,,You're _shocked_  to see me? That really hurts me, pumpkin." Rhys runs both of his hands through his hair and huffs. ,,No, I didn't mean it like that. Yeah, I'm shocked, but not in a negative way. Sorry...if it sounded like that." Handsome Jack touches him lightly with one of his hands and chuckles, when Rhys slightly jumps at that. ,,Look, I'm real. You reacted to that and you can feel the warmth of my body. And you don't need to be sorry. I don't care about it, because I know how you meant it.", Jack says and tries to sound bored, so the words doesn't have any meaning. ,,Softy."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry, that it took me two weeks to finish this chapter and I don't have a exuse for it. I just didn't felt like writing anything. Hope that you like it at least!

They just sit next to each other and don't say anything. ,,So, pumpkin. Do ya like whatcha see?", Jack asks him and Rhys looks at him with an amused grin. ,,Well, I don't know. Your taste of clothing isn't the best, but I like your hair.", Rhys answers and chuckles lightly at the gaze from Jack. ,,At least, I didn't tugged my tie into my pants like an idiot.", the CEO from Hyperion counters and grins wide. ,,Why does everyone mention it over and _over_?", Rhys says loudly and Jacks grin just gets wider. ,,Because you mentioned my taste of clothing, babe." Rhys huffs and crosses his arms in front of his chest. ,,Oh, are you offended? Should I call your mom? Or should I apologize?" Rhys wants to reply, but instead he just yawns and suddenly feels tired again. ,,You should get some rest, Rhysie.", Jack laughs to him and leans back himself. ,,Why? So you can strangle me, while I'm asleep?", Rhys replies tired, but still with a grin. ,,Why do _you_  always mention this over and _over_?", Jack repeats Rhys and Rhys just growls lightly.

,,Jack, you should really be with the doctors.", Rhys says to him slightly worried and Jack growls as a reply. ,,I don't need to see those idiots. They touch me everywhere and do stupid tests. Like if I can talk or eat! They think I'm brain-dead.", Jack means angrily and throws his arms up. ,,They just want to look, if everything's alright with you. They don't want, that you die somehow.", Rhys tries to calm him down and Jack sits back up. ,,Yeah, whatever. I showed you now, that I can't die, because I'm stupid. So I don't need to see 'em ever again." Rhys rolls with his eyes and Jack gives him an offended look. ,,You _will_. Now and the next days. Your organs can still rot away, you know?" Handsome Jack crosses his arms and stands up. ,,Fine, I will go to them. But just because it sounds disgusting to rot away and you will give me a hug.", Jack commands and Rhys looks at him surprised.

,,A _hug_?", Rhys asks in disbelief and Jack nods at him. ,,Yeah, a _hug_. It's an easy gesture and look, I don't bite." Rhys sighs and gets up too. ,,If you go to the doctors, I'll hug you." Jack looks really happy and spreads his arms for Rhys. With a roll of his eyes, Rhys goes to Jack and into his arms. Instantly Rhys relaxes into the hug and feels kinda safe. ,,You're so nice, Jack.", Rhys mumbles into Jack shoulder and Jack laughs happily. ,,I'm really sad to do that.", Jack says and Rhys doesn't think about anything bad. ,,You don't have to break the hug now." Jack rubs over Rhys' back and Rhys is ready to fall asleep against the other man. ,,I won't." ,,Wha-", Rhys wants to reply, but suddenly the air is out of his lungs. Jacks hands aren't anymore on his back, they are on his throat. ,,Jack?", Rhys asks him disappointed and sadly. ,,What, pumkin? What do you want to say with this lovely mouth of yours?", Jack asks him with a wolfish grin and Rhys is terrified. ,,Why...?" Jack laughs and the pressure on his throat grows. ,,I don't know, maybe because you took _everything_ I had?! I could've been the president from Hyperion _again_ , but no you had the plan to destroy **EVERYTHING FROM ME**! So now, I will take everything from you. First, I'll kill you, then all your stupid employees and at the end I'll destroy Atlas **completely**!", Jack screams at him and the pressure grows. Rhys thinks his neck will snap any moment and his vision becomes blurry. ,,Mon...ster.", he says before he loses his consciousness and he knows, that Jack won everything in the moment he brought him back.

**~~~**

Rhys wakes up scared and sweaty, he quickly sits up and rubs at his throat. It doesn't hurt. _It was a dumb dream._  He sighs and rubs with his hands over his face. ,,Rise and shine, Rhysie!", Jack greets him and Rhys jumps at the sudden voice. ,, _Jack_?" He looks at the older man laying next to him. ,,Huh? What's the question, cupcake?", Jack asks him with a wide grin and Rhys really wants to shove him off of the bed. ,,What are you doing in my bed?" Handsome Jack laughs and gets up. ,,Well you fell asleep, after saying you wouldn't and I was too lazy to go back to the doctors. So I stayed and slept here as well.", Jack explains and stretches his limbs. ,,So I slept next to _you_  in my bed?" Jack nods and Rhys wants to bury himself somewhere, where no one can find him. ,,What are your plans for today? Sightseeing?", Jack wants to know honestly and Rhys rolls with his eyes. ,,You will go to the doctor!" ,,Ah, c'mon. Please, I don't want to see them. They are...creepy!", Jack says in a pleading tone and Rhys has to hide his grin. He enjoys this far too much. ,,You're creepy too. You can make new friends." The older man just looks at him like he lost his mind and Rhys shrugs. ,,You _asshole_!" Rhys grins at him, because of the bitchy tone in his voice. ,,Stop being a sissy and go to the damn doctor." With a growl, Jack goes to the door and is about to go through it. ,,You learned to counter over the year. I really have to get behind that." And then Jack is through the door and Rhys hears a too familiar shriek. _Vaughn._

Quickly he's out the door too and sees Jack laughing and Vaughn just standing there in shock. ,,Rhysie, your friend, uh Vernon?, looks now so much more manlier, than the last time I saw him.", Jack says to Rhys still laughing and Vaughn slowly moves a bit. _Good, he's not dead_. ,,Rhys! What the hell, bro?!", Vaughn nearly screams and gestures with his arms extremely to Jack. ,,I can explain that...?", Rhys slowly answers and Vaughn gives him an blank look. ,,Good luck with that. I'll go to the doctors now. See ya!", Jack means and walks away happily. _What an asshole._  ,,Vaughn, I'll explain everything to you, okay?" Vaughn nods with a sigh and looks at his friend with an sad look. ,,Ah and Vernon-", Jack suddenly says, but gets cut off from Rhys and Vaughn. ,,Vaughn!", they both say in sync and grin at each other. ,,Whatever. _Vaughn_ , you still should wear a shirt or something. The sight is still really...shocking. Bye!"

With a shake of their heads, they're going back into the big living space from Rhys. While Vaughn sits down, Rhys pulls out his ECHO device and calls someone. Vaughn looks at him suspicious and Rhys gives him a signal, that he's ready in one minute. After a few beeps a woman answers the phone. ,,Hey Betty-Beth!", Rhys greets her and he hears a snort from the other side. ,,Hey Rhys. What's the matter?", she asks with a grin in her voice. ,,Could you please watch the cameras in the floors in front of my apartment and the doctors?", Rhys answers and she sighs. ,,Is it because of Jack?" _How does she know that?_  ,,Well, I can tell you he makes stupid faces in the camera." _Yep, that's definitely Jack._  ,,Good, just observe him and if he scares a employee, then give him a light electro shock, okay?", Rhys asks her nicely and hears a pleased chuckle from Beth. _She loves it, when I say, that she can shock someone. Luckily it doesn't happen so often._

,,How can she shock someone through a camera?", Vaughn asks with a wide grin and Rhys shrugs with his shoulders. ,,It's a company secret." Vaughn looks at him fake offended and Rhys gives him a puppy look. ,,Bro, stop that look. It kills me, even when it looks kinda creepy on your face.", Vaughn laughs and Rhys is happy, that the mood is not so oppressive anymore. ,,So yeah, I should tell you the story then, huh?" Vaughn nods and looks at him patiently. Again Rhys had a _long_  monolog and it was so much harder for him this time, because Vaughn gave him sometimes a judgemental look.

When Rhys finishes his nerves are about to break, because his best friend just looks him blank in the eyes. With a sigh, Vaughn stands up and goes to his friend. ,,You idiot. You can get murdered by the guy you just revived!", Vaughn says to him worried and Rhys gives him a soothing look. ,,It's not so easy for him, you know?" Again Vaughn sighs and looks at his friend _really_  worried. ,,Okay, I really hope so. I'm just worried about you.", he tells him and Rhys punches his shoulder lightly. ,,Come on, don't be so down about it. I have the best guards ever and Beth. She will be incredible happy to electro shock him to death." Vaughn laughs and they go out of the room and stand on the floor again. ,,But _if_  you die, then can I have your stuff? Like money and maybe a house?", Vaughn jokes and Rhys looks at him with a wide grin. ,,Something else too? A yacht or maybe stripper?" ,,Yeah, I would take it, y'know?" They're going through the metal hallways, laughing like idiots and still joking.

**~~~**

2 months passed, since Rhys had revived Handsome Jack and everything was going great with that. Handsome Jack never had done anything bad, except once he punched a employee from Rhys, because he offended Jack. Since then no one even dared to look at Handsome Jack. He didn't rot away and his organs are all pretty fine. But he still has to go to the doctors every second day for a check and he still hates it. Jack got an electro shock from Beth on that day and he didn't even did anything. He was confused and Jack kinda knew, that it had something to do with Rhys. So he asked him and Rhys played the dumb one. Rhys told him a few days later, why he got an electro shock and Jack was actually offended, because Rhys didn't trusted him that much. But Jack got over that pretty fast. Rhys thinks that at least, Jack never forgot that. But somehow they got close over the time.

**~~~**

Rhys and Jack are sitting in front of each other and just look at the other. ,,Rhysie...so I got an electro shock a few months ago.", Jack starts with a grin and Rhys looks at him with an eyeroll. ,, _Really_? Do you have to bring that up again?", Rhys whines and Jack laughs lightheartly. ,,Of course, Babe! So...do you still don't trust me?" Rhys sighs, because he knows, that Jack knows the goddamn answer to that. ,,Jack, I trust you.", Rhys answers and yawns. He didn't got that much sleep the last nights, because currently he's really busy with some weapon things between other companys and private thoughts. _Everyone wants the best and Atlas has to produce the best._  His mood gets worse, because he's just thinking of that. _F_ _ucking elemental weapons._  ,,You really do so...then do you regret reviving me?", Jack continues asking and Rhys just wants Jack to shut up. ,, **Jack** , when I trust you, why the fuck should I regret it?", Rhys asks back and knows, that Jack won't shut up _now_. ,,You can't answer with a question, Rhysie. It's simple. Yes or no." Rhys suddenly feels really mad and wants to scream at everybody. ,,You know **what**? Yes, yes I fucking regret it, when you don't shut up." When he finishes his sentence, he regret _something_. That he said that. ,,Jack, I didn't-", Rhys wants to apologize, but gets cut off by Jack. ,,Don't fucking say _I didn't mean it_. **Don't!** I'll leave you alone and shut the _**fuck**_  up." Jack wants to leave, but Rhys grabs at his sleeve and looks at him apologetic. ,,Rhys, you should stand to your words.", Jack says and tries to break free from Rhys' grab. ,,No, no! Don't go!", Rhys pleads and feels awful. Jack looks at him coldly, but his look turns, when Rhys suddenly starts to cry. Rhys lets go of Jack and turns around. _He doesn't need to see me like this._  Rhys feels Jacks hand on his shoulder and relaxes a bit. _I really need this right now._  ,,Hey, what's the matter? Something doesn't work or what?", Jack asks him and his voice is so warm and calm. It's soothes Rhys and he just wants to hide behind the other man for years.

,,I'm a bad CEO and friend. I'm the worst person ever and just scare everyone away. Those fucking weapons don't give me sleep at night, because I have to think how they should look, which element should be on them and what kind of weapon. Should it be a shotgun with corrosive damage or a SMG with fire damage? Should the weapon have zoom or not? How many bullets should fit into the magazine and how much should it cost?", Rhys rambles and stops when Jack shushes him. ,,Why didn't you said so earlier? I can help you with that. I was the friggin' CEO from Hyperion. I should know this shit like killing people.", Jack says with a light chuckle and Rhys feels relieved suddenly. ,,Thank you so much. But there is something else I have to say to you and I'm scared you won't help anymore.", Rhys starts and swallows roughly. ,,Just say it." Rhys thinks over his words, but end up finding not a good start and deciding to just say it out like it is. ,,I'm in love with you." No one says anything and Rhys really wants to kill himself right now. _This is_ so _bad._

,,You're kiddin' me right?", Jack answers with a grin and Rhys looks at him in disbelief. ,,I thought so, because you made a big deal out of that.", Jack explains himself and Rhys needs a moment to realize, what he just said. ,,So that means...?" Jack laughs and steps closer to Rhys. ,,What does it mean, Rhysie?" Jacks face is really close to Rhys' and Rhys feels like time just froze. ,,I...don't know?" Jack smiles at him and traces his hand along Rhys' chest. ,,You really don't?" Rhys swallows hardly and doesn't meet Jacks look. ,,You don't have a problem with it?", Rhys answers and Jack nods. ,,And why don't I have a problem with it?" Rhys doesn't want to say it out loud, because he's afraid to get rejected from him. ,,C'mon, Rhysie baby. You got it.", Jack says to him reassuring and Rhys bites on his bottom lip. _Such an asshole_. ,,Because you love me... _too_?", Rhys says and finally receives for what he waited weeks. Jack pulled him closer into a soft and still passionate kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> Well, I didn't want to make it a two part story, but it's too long and it's better with two chapters. So yeah, the real Rhack fluffly fluff will happen next chapter! Again, I hope you liked it and well we see us next chapter!


End file.
